Guardian
by TouchFire03
Summary: When in a town, heading West, Gojyo spots a strange girl. Who is she? What is the White Mononoke? And who are these guys that work for Kougaiji want?
1. Moon Gazing

_**Guardian**_

_Moon Gazing

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Gojyo watched her out the corner of his eye, his gaze not shifting from her lone form. How her silver hair fell down her back, tied back into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. How the two white canine ears twitched in the twilight breeze. How her white tail wrapped around her legs, glistening in a lunar glow. With light cocoa colored skin, her lonely silhouette stood at the edge pier as the radiance of the moon beaming down on her. An ethreal brightness surrounded her as if she were a divine treasure of the gods.

There was something strange about this girl, but he couldn't seem to place it. He felt attracted to her, compelled to go towards her.

She turned and their eyes locked, his breath caught in his throat.

Amber. Bright, golden amber that held a deep wisdom gained from a lifetime of pain and solitude. He could learn so much just by her eyes, the many battles they've witnessed and the many challenges they've faced.

"Gojyo, whatcha'ya lookin' at?" asked Goku, grabbing onto his shoulders and looking in the girl's direction. The girl blushed and dashed off into the shadows, vanishing into the darkness in a pale, silver glow.

"Huh? What Goku?" aske Gojyo.

"That girl, she was pretty. I want to meet her. Think we'll see her again?" asked Goku, looking up at Gojyo witha silent hope in his eyes.

"Feh! I doubt it," said Gojyo. He placed a hand on Goku's head and herded him towards Sanzo and Hakkai.

"What took you two idiots so long?" asked Sanzo impatiently.

"Just moon gazing. Don't go bald worrying, priest," said Gojyo, shrugging it off.

"Death is seemingly enjoying for you," said Sanzo, fingering the Wesson & Smith hidden in his robes. Gojyo could only smirk as they entered the restaurant, his thoughts slowly meandering back to the strange girl.

_'I wonder if I'll see her again...,'_ he thought.

The four took their seats and ordered their dinner as Goku gleefully chattered on about the different meats in his food. Sanzo read his paper and Hakkai was resting his eyes from the trip, all the while, Gojyo was was still lost in his thoughts.

"Hey Gojyo, look!" said Goku, grabbing Gojyo's face and pointing in the direction of the corner of the restaurant.

It was the girl again. She was sitting alone at a table, a glass of water on the counter and her arms crossed over her chest. She had her eyes closed and her ears twitched every so often, plagued by some sound or motion. Her tail was tucked neatly under her chair to keep the fluffy appendage from being stepped on.

Caught once more, he couldn't help but watch her. She sat unmoving as people stared and whispered around her.

'_It must be because she's youkai,'_ thought Gojyo, '_Humans are becoming more unnerved just at the sight of one. But she doesn't look very dangerous.'_

She was alone. He could talk to her. All he had to do was get up, walk over, say one of his usually lame pick-up lines, and she'd be falling at his feet. It was that simple and it always worked

_'Yeah... that's about it_,' he thought sadly as he stood up and walked towards her.

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_**:00:00:00:00:**_

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_I got this strange shiver, as if someone was watching me. Not like it's unusual, people usually stare if you're not like them. But this stare was different, more like a heated gaze; a good heated gaze. _

_I openned my eyes and a guy with scarlet hair and eyes was watching me. The kid next to him was looking at me too. Why? I don't know. I felt like I'd seen him somewhere before._

_...Wait! He was looking at me when I was at the pier._

_I watched him stand and walk towards me. He's coming over here. If he's coming over here, then he's going to want to talk._

_I don't want to talk._

_ Nope. Gotta run!_

_I waved over one of the waiters and paid for my dinner that had yet to come before rushing out the door, back out into the night._

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**_:00:00:00:00:

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_**

Gojyo stopped walking and stared at the door. The girl had taken off like she was scared of him. He sighed and walked back to his seat, slouching down into the chair.

"Aw, she ran off again," whined Goku with a frown on his face. However, that was soon lifted as his food was placed before him and he dug into with renewed vigor.

"What was that all about, Gojyo?" asked Hakkai.

"...I don't know," said Gojyo as his food was placed in front of him. He stared down at his plate, but didn't see it; he was still wondering why the girl run away again.

"I don't want to know. It's probably a good thing that the girl ran off," said Sanzo, " She won't have to hear your lame-ass pick-ups. Looks like your luck with the ladies is running out."

"That girl's new here," said a voice behind them, turning around to face a middle-aged man.

He had dark, curly hair and a short beard. His ebon eyes had a strange glow behind them, resembling the dieing embers of a flame. A heavy, leather coat was draped over his shoulders and a rugged, old hat sat lopsided on his head. Scares marred his bare arms and a patch covered his left eye. He wore a pair of tattered jeans and muddy boots, wet earth still clung to the soles of the shoes.

"She's new here? When'd she show up?" asked Hakkai. The man nodded, picking up his coffee and taking a drink before setting the empty mug back on the table.

"Yup, started showing up in town when the White Mononoke came to this area," said the man.

"White Mononoke?" they asked.

"The White Mononoke is a wolf that guards the forest that surrounds this village. She protects something that's in that forest. Some say it's a large horse-like creature," said the man, looking into his empty coffee cup, "She might have run since your red headed friend of yours looks like one of the top notch bounty hunters from the West."

"Hey! That's were we're--! OW!" whined Goku, nursing the bump on his head that Sanzo gave him.

"What do you mean?" asked Sanzo, looking over at Gojyo then back to the man.

"Just sayin' that your friend looks like the bounty hunter that comes here often," said the man. He stood up and left his payment on the table, " You want more answers, go to the Hunter's Tavern at the end of the street. I'm sure they'll provide you with the _proper_ information."

Sanzo and the others watched the man leave the restaurant before turning back to their meal. Once the meal was complete and stacks of dishes left in Goku's wake, they paid for it and returned to the inn, planning on spending one more day in the village before leaving.

_'That's where I'll go... The Hunter's Tavern. They'll have some answers for me,'_ thought Gojyo as he drifted off to sleep.

**End Chapter

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**_:00:00:00:00:

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Author's Notes_**

_Okay, this will be my second attempt at writing a **SaiYuki** story. I don't know if it will have yaoi in it or not, but give it a chance. There may be some tid-bits of it, but no full throttle guy/guy stuff. I'm just a minor, so don't expect it. Anyways, I'm gonna add some of my own characters. Some may seem familiar, that's because it is my trademark person. So please, stick with me. Thanks.

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_All characters used in **Guardian** that are used in the manga/anime/legend of** SaiYuki** belong to the original author. All other characters, such as Kishin, Aislin, and Hiroshi, belong to **Fushigi Aoi Tenshi**. Please ask before using those three characters._


	2. Poison

_**Guardian**_

_Poison

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_

Gojyo stood in front of a huge, wooden building, the sign hanging outside read _'Hunter's Tavern.'_ The place had at least four floors and looked like it was holding up well. He straightened his shoulders and pushed open the door.

Eyes suddenly turned towards him, watching him move to the bar. So many drunken humans stared at him, at his features. He could hear them mumbling things about his eyes and hair. He heard the words _'half-breed'_ and _'taboo'_ mentioned a few times, but he didn't turn to acknowledge them.

"Hiroshi! Man, long time no see! Where ya been?" cheered the bartender, a wide grin spread out on his fattened face. Gojyo stopped and looked around, hoping to find this '_Hiroshi_' guy. He turned back to the bartender and pointed to himself. The man nodded and waved him over.

"Sorry man, but you got the wrong guy," said Gojyo.

"Oh, my apologies. It's these damn dimmed lights, can't see a frickin' thing," said the bartender.

"I was hoping you could help me out with something though," said Gojyo, leaning his arm against the bar and looking around the building.

"With what?"

"The White Mononoke," said Gojyo and the bartender turned to stare. The people behind them suddenly hushed and listened their way. He didn't have to turn to know that their eyes and ears were on his conversation.

"You wanna know about the White Mononoke? Why?" asked the bartender.

"Just curious," said Gojyo.

"Yeah, really. We'll, what do you want to know?" asked the bartender, picking up a glass and cleaning it off.

"Who is she?" asked Gojyo. The bartender let out a thick laugh.

"Who is she? That's easy. Her name is Aislin: an inu-hanyou," said the bartender.

"An inu-hanyou? She doesn't look like a hanyou," said Gojyo.

"That's only to the untrainned eye. I don't know the whole depth of the taboo ways, but she's a hanyou," said the bartender. He reached under the counter and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. He unravelled it and laid it in front of Gojyo.

**WANTED**

Aislin Akiyama

aka

**The White Mononoke**

**85,000,000,000,000**

- Inu-hanyou, white hair, tan skin, black marking (shoulders, cheeks, and forehead)

- White wolf, black markings(shoulders, thighs, back, cheeks), black cresent moon on forehead

**WARNING: ARMED AND DANGEROUS! APPROACH WITH CAUTION!**

Two pictures were on the poster, one of Aislin in a humanoid form, the other of her true form. The picture of her true form was obsucred and blurry, hard to tell which detail was which. All he could make out was the white fangs bared at the person who took the picture.

"Can I get a copy of this?" asked Gojyo. The bartender nodded and pulled out another poster, handing it to Gojyo.

"Just one thing," said the bartender, stopping Gojyo as he was halfway across the room, "Why does a half-demon want to catch another half-demon? That's like going against one's kind, ain't it?" asked the bartender.

"I never said that I was going after it," said Gojyo as he pushed open the door and went out into the streets. The door closed behind Gojyo and the bartender shook his head.

A man sitting at one of the tables stood up and headed towards the door, his hand resting on the hilt of one of his swords at his hip.

"Hey Renzu, where ya going?" asked the bartender.

"... Hunting," replied Renzu, pushing open the door and dissappearing into the sunlight.

* * *

_**:00:00:00:00:**_

* * *

"Hey Gojyo, where were you?" asked Hakkai, looking up from the card game he was playing with Goku and Sanzo. Sanzo played his hand: three queens and two kings, followed by Goku's hand of one king, three jacks, and a ten. "Sorry guys," said Hakkai, " A royal flush... in spades." 

"Darn it Hakkai! Stop doing that!" said Goku. He turned his gaze to the paper that Gojyo held in his hand, "Hey Gojyo, what's that?

"Take a look," said Gojyo, unrolling the the poster. Sanzo and Hakkai stood up and walked over, looking over Goku's shoulders at the poster.

"Hey! It's the girl from last night," said Goku, pointing to her picture.

"No duh, ape-shit," said Gojyo.

"Hey! Don't call me that, pervy kappa!" shouted Goku, tugging on Gojyo's hair.

"Fine...crappy monkey," smirked Gojyo, grabbing Goku's cheek and pulling.

"Hey! Kappa no baka!" barked Goku.

"SHUT-UP! The boh of you!" shouted Sanzo, a tick forming above his left eye.

Hakkai shook his head and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 1:51 in the afternoon.

"We should head out now," said Hakkai. Everyone nodded and began to clean-up and gather their things. In about 15 minutes, everyone was packed and heading out the door. After paying for the rooms, the group walked down to the edge of town.

"So, the forest surrounds the whole town?" asked Goku.

"That's right, we can't take Jeep through though. This forest is more like a jungle, too many roots and rocks," said Hakkai, scratching under Hakuryu's chin, " Sorry boy."

They stopped at the edge fo the forest, looking into the shadows of the tall trees. Ferns grew along the ground and a small creek flowed through the underbrush.

"Why are you going into the forest?" aske avoice behind them. They turned to face a young man, just a little bit older than Goku.

He was a tiger with geen eyes and black hair. A lean build, but with much strength to back him. He wore a black shirt with a silver embroidded dragon and a pair of loose khakis. Black cuffs were on his wrist and pair of heavy, black boots were on his feet. His tiger-like tail swished behind him, flicking with a bit of impatience.

"Not that it is any of your concern, but we are headed West," said Sanzo, his eyes piercing the tiger with a glare. The tiger demon nodded.

"You're not here to kill Aislin or the Forest Spirit?" he asked, his green eyes stopping on Gojyo.

"No, we're not interested in the inu-hanyou," said Hakkai. The tiger nodded again.

"Fine, but I warn you. There are demons in there that are beyond your comprehension. Should you fight one and become injured, seek the Forest Spirit, Kishin. Aislin will lead you to him," said the tiger, turning to leave.

"One question," said Hakkai, the tiger stopped, "Why are you not affected by the Minus Wave?"

"The only demons that are not affected are hanyou, under developed youkai, or very powerful youkai. I am no hanyou and I am not a child," said the tiger, "I am a mononoke." He dissappeared in the breeze, leaving a trail of black feathers in his wake.

"What's that got to do with anything? Him being a mononoke, I mean," asked Goku.

"I guess mononoke can overcome the Minus Wave," said Gojyo. The group turned back around and walked into the forest, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

* * *

_**:00:00:00:00:**_

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"Man, we've been here for hours! Where are we?" shouted Goku. 

"I'm not quite sure, but we should still be heading west," said Hakkai, "What do you thingk Sanzo?"

"Hell if I know," said Sanzo.

"That's not very reassuring," said Hakkai.

"I'm hungry," whined Goku, clutching his stomach.

Hakuryu lifted his head and let out a tiny hiss. He flapped his wings and hissed into the forest, striking his claws into the empty air.

"What's the matter Haku?" asked Hakkai, taking the dragon into his hands and petting its head, but it didn't stop hissing. Goku was looking about the forest, a low growl rising in his throat.

"Guys... something's coming," said Goku.

The group quieted and the forest was silent around them. The birds had stopped chirpping and everything was still. The only sounds were of their heartbeats and the heavy breathing to the north.

The pounding feet of an approaching beast echoed in their ears. The low rumbling from the beast's chest washed over the silence. The rustle of fur and leaves as the creature crept closer.

Sanzo pulled out his gun and shot a bullet into the shadown to the north. A shrill cry echoed through the forest, followed by a loud roar.

The pounding feet grew louder as they got closer, quicker and quicker. Trees wer toren down as the beast charged them, still hidden by the shadows.

Then, in a flash, a mighty tail swept out of the shadows and sent Goku flying into a near by tree.

"What the hell!" shouted Gojyo as the beast stepped out of the forest.

It was huge, almost as big as the trees themselves. Yellow fur covered its body and it had a white under belly. Huge fangs preturded from its mouth, one large one coming out of its jawbone. A large horn was on its forehead with two little ones above its fiery crimson eyes. Large yellow ears with tufts of blue and green fur twitched, listening to the heartbeats of the group. Its back was lined with green spots all the way to the tuft of fur at the tip of its tail. Huge blue and red claws extended from its gigantic paws.

It openned its mouth and let out another shrill roar, rearing up on its hind legs before crashing down on the ground.

Gojyo, Sanzo, and Hakkai jumped out of the way from being crushed. Its fangs snapped at Sanzo, trying to tear the priest apart.

"Noi-byo!" shouted Goku as his pole connected with the beast's side. The creature roared and swung its paw around again, hitting Goku.

Gojyo's chained sycthe sliced the beast across the hind quarters, a trail of liquid red ran down its leg. Its red eyes locked with Gojyo's and its tail swung around an hit him, hitting him in the stomach.

Sanzo pulled out the Seiten sutra and began to chant, the paper scroll floating around him. Goku and Gojyo attacked the creature from both sides, trying to distract it from Sanzo. It growled at the two and charged Sanzo, its mouth wide and dripping acid drool.

Goku and Gojyo kept attack it, but it just batted them away, its target: Sanzo. It raised its claws and knocked Sanzo away, slashing him across the chest.

"Sanzo!" shouted Goku as he ran towards the injured priest. The beast only roared and swatted Goku away. Hakkai ran over to Sanzo and erected a shield as the beast's paw tried to crush them.

_'How are we gonna beat this thing!'_ thought Gojyo, sitting up from where the demon had thrown him.

Hakkai used his power to keep the shield strong under the demon's constant attacks, sweat running down his face. He looked over at Sanzo and saw that the wounds were ozing a green liquid. It began to bubble and fester, eating away at his flesh.

"Hurry, you guys! We have to get to the Forest Spirit! Sanzo's been poisoned!" shouted Hakkai as the beast continued to pound at the shield.

"How?" shouted Gojyo, the blade cutting at the demon again and blood gushed out of the wound.

The creature turned its eyes to Gojyo and Goku and roared. It stood on its rear legs and was about to charge when a howl echoed through the forest. Its ears twitch and it roared again, a loud snarl following it.

The pounding of more paws against the earth echoed in the forest. The howl continued, growing louder with every beat against the earth.

"Great! Just what we need! Something else that will kill us!" shouted Gojyo.

The howl grew louder and louder. Gojyo and Goku ducked as the forest let out a feral roar and another creature lept out of the trees.

**End Chapter

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**_Author's Note_**

**_Mononoke_**_: a vengeful or angry spirit/ghost_

_**Hanyou**: Half demon, half human_

_**Youkai**: A demon, usually a calm spirit_

_**Inu**: Dog_

_I hope that's okay. I also hope that those frickin' dollar signs show up. Anyways, hope you like. _

_

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_

_I do not own **Saiyuki**, nor do I own any characters related to the manga/anime/legend. I do own Aislin, Hiroshi, Kishin, or any other character that came from my imagination. This disclaimer will be added at the end of every chapter._


	3. Forest Spirit

_**Guardian**_

_Forest Spirit_

The giant yellow demon roared: bucking and rearing as something latched onto its back. It clawed and scratched at the other monster, hoping to detach it from its body.

Gojyo and the others watched in amazement as the two beasts fought. Their huge claws tore up the ground and their large bodies knocked over huge trees, sending them crashing against the earth.

The yellow creature threw the other off of its back and snarled its lips pulled back and its fangs bared. Its fur stood on end as it hunched its shoulders. Its crimson eyes locked with the other demon's gold ones, not leaving the others gaze.

The other beast growled back, now standing in the light of the forest. It was a wolf-like creature, almost as big as the other demon. Trickles of red blood ran down its white coat of fur and its paws were stained crimson from the yellow demon's blood. Its lips were stained red from blood, red droplets falling from its chin. Its golden eyes watched the demon before it, trained to kill in an instant. Its mane of white fur rose like prickled thorns, sharp and deadly. The muscles in its legs clenched and bunched, ready to spring at the other demon.

"The White Mononoke," breathed Gojyo. Its amber eyes flickered in his direction and back to the other demon, its growl growing louder.

The yellow demon reared up and roared, giving the mononoke a chance to strike. The mononoke latched onto its opponent's throat and bit down hard, its fangs sinking in deep. The other demon struggled against the mononoke's hold, but to no avail.

Yanking on the flesh, the mononoke tore out the demon's throat, the yellow demon dropping in a bloody heap. Its limbs twitched before it finally died, its flesh rotting and leaving a pile of bones and a large puddle of blood.

The mononoke dropped the chunk of flesh from its mouth and shook its fur, licking its lips when it was done. Turning its golden eyes to the four, it sniffed, taking in their scents.

_'A kappa-hanyou, a monkey youkai, a boar youkai, and a Sanzo priest,'_ thought the mononoke.

"Mononoke, our friend was injured by that demon. Can you take us to the Forest Spirit?" asked Hakkai.

_"Hai, I can,"_ said the mononoke, its voice like wind, low and breathy,_ "Put him on."_ It knelt down and Hakkai and Gojyo lifted Sanzo onto its back,_ "You may climb on as well, it will be hard for you to keep up at the pace I must go. Your friend is injured badly and we must hurry to His Lake."_ Turning its head, it dashed of with the four on its back.

They continued to run through the forest, dashing and weaving through the maze of trees. Ducking under low branches and splashing through brooks.

"How much farther?" asked Goku from the mononoke's back.

_"Not much, we're almost there,"_ said the mononoke, rounding a rocky bend. An old trail leading up the mountain was ahead of them. The wolf jumped down onto the path and dashed ahead, Gojyo, Hakkai, and Goku clinging tightly to its fur.

They rounded another bend and came to a misty lake. The trees were tall and grew right out of the water, the sunlight barely shown through their branches. Tiny islands floated in the middle of the lake, butterflies dancing on the curling grasses. Clear water rippled against the earth, stopping at the land's edge. A beam of pure sunlight beamed down on a single island, surrounding it in an ethereal light.

_"Wait here,"_ said the mononoke. Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo climbed down and watched as the mononoke placed a paw on top of the water, sitting on the surface. Placing the rest of its paws on the water, it trotted across to the glimmering island. Pulling Sanzo off of its back, it laid him on the island, his lower half resting in the water. It placed a gold stone above his head before trotting back across the water.

"What about Sanzo?" asked Goku, worry written all over his face.

_"Your friend is in good hands. Kishin will take care of him,"_ said the mononoke,_ "Come, this way. You may watch from up here."_ The wolf led them up a hill and they sat, watching the misty lake below.

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_**:00:00:00:00:**

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_

_"Look,"_ whispered the mononoke.

The forest grew quiet and still. The soft padding of hooves was the only sound in the forest. A gentle neigh rippled over the water. A single figure could be seen walking through the mist.

A horse-like creature stepped into the sunlight, standing on the surface of the calm water. Short, jade green fur covered its body with a shining silver mane and tail. A ring of gold was at the base of its tail and a horn of pure silver on its forehead. It stepped onto the island, standing behind Sanzo, its white eyes scanning the priest.

_"What soul poisoned by a dragon of my forest. A blessed gift of golden life be restored. A mortal on a mission, to heal those corrupted. May your tainted blood be cured of its wound, a fatal liquid of green venom. You life be returned to this empty vessel,"_ breathed the creature. The golden stone gleamed and vanished, replaced by a white, floating orb.

"Whose that?" whispered Goku from above, his eyes wide and staring.

_"That is Kishin, Spirit of the Forest of Life,"_ said the mononoke.

Kishin blew a soft breath and the orb floated back into Sanzo's body. Kishin raised his head and nodded: turning around and disappearing back into the forest.

_"Now, we may go down,"_ said the mononoke. It trotted back down the hill and went to the little island, picking up Sanzo and putting him on its back. Walking back across the water with ease, it let Hakkai and the others take him.

"Thank you," said Hakkai, leaning Sanzo against his body. The mononoke shook its head and grinned, fangs glinting in the sun.

_"No problem. You guys are probably hungry and tired, you can rest at my place,"_ said the mononoke.

"Yay! Food!" shouted Goku. They put Sanzo back on the mononoke's back and followed it through the forest. They came to old trail again and followed it to a clearing. Trees surrounded it and a large cave was in the northern part of the clearing.

The group sat down outside the cave, laying Sanzo down on a blanket of white fur. The mononoke disappeared into the cave.

"...That was interesting," said Gojyo, pulling out a cigarette. He looked into the box and frowned, noticing there was only one left. _'Note to self...get another pack soon,'_ he thought.

"Yeah," said Goku, his eyes never leaving Sanzo's sleeping body. He sat next to the priest, his shoulders hunched and his legs crossed.

The mononoke walked back out of the cave with a large bundle in its mouth. Setting it down on the ground, it flopped onto the ground between Gojyo and Hakkai.

_"Its not much, but its food. Don't worry, its fresh from the village and cooked,"_ said the mononoke. The bundle fell open and all sorts of foods were inside rabbit, pheasant, deer, fruit, and many others.

"FOOD!" shouted Goku, practically diving into the food.

"Hey! Leave some for us!" said Gojyo. Hakkai laughed as the two fought over the food, growling and shouting at each other.

"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Hakkai, looking at the mononoke.

_"No, I don't eat human food,"_ said the mononoke, smiling.

"Then why do you have it?" asked Goku, talking with a mouthful of _something._

_"Just in case. You never know what stupid human's going to get stuck in the forest or if the humans come in here and destroy stuff,"_ said the mononoke.

"What do you mean?" asked Gojyo, rubbing off an apple that he found before taking a bite.

_"The humans come here and tear down the trees. They're trying to build a pass through the forest,"_ it shook its head, _"It's more like they want to tear the whole forest down and build onto the town. That's why I'm here. I protect the forest and Kishin from the humans that want to destroy it."_

"I see," said Hakkai. They were silent for a while, the spring breeze the only sound in the clearing.

"Do you know an 'Aislin Akiyama'?" asked Gojyo. The mononoke was silent, golden eyes trained on Gojyo only before shifting to the rest of the group.

_"...Why?"_ asked the mononoke, _"If you are bounty hunters, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."_

"Don't worry, we're not bounty hunters. We don't want to harm the forest," said Hakkai, holding up his hands.

_"I guess,"_ said the mononoke, turning back to Gojyo, _"Yes, an Aislin Akiyama lives in this forest. I think I can trust you enough, seeing how you're probably smart enough to figure out who I am."_ A soft glow surrounded the mononoke and began to reshape the wolf. The fur shortened and its face took on a human appearance. The light faded and a girl looked back.

"You're the girl from the restaurant!" said Goku, pointing at her. She nodded and smiled.

Where the mononoke once sat, a girl took its place. Her skin was a dark tan, a soft bronze color. Her silver hair was pulled back into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. Two white dog-ears twitched on top of her head, almost hidden in the mass of silver. Amber eyes stared back at the group, bright and lively, like molten fire. She wore a black top that had a white bat on the front and a pair of baggy camouflage pants that covered the top of her boots. On her left wrist was a leather band with one chain link on it. Her white tail was lying by her leg and thumping against the green earth.

"I thought so," said Gojyo.

"Thought what?" asked Aislin, confused.

"I had a feeling that you were that girl," said Gojyo.

"It ain't that hard to figure out ya' know. Lots of people know 'cause of those bounty hunting offices," said Aislin, glaring at the ground.

A soft groan came from Sanzo and he opened his eyes, blinking back the sunlight. He raised his hand and shielded his eyes from the light.

"Welcome back Sanzo," said Hakkai.

"Sanzo!" said Goku, hugging Sanzo's neck.

"Get off me you fool!" growled Sanzo. Goku let go and hid behind Hakkai.

"He's alive, yippee," mumbled Gojyo, taking another bite into the apple.

"Where are we?" asked Sanzo, sitting up and looking around.

"You're still in the forest, just away from that demon," said Aislin.

"That demon, what was it?" asked Hakkai.

"It was a Manalishi, a dragon demon with highly venomous poison. Your friend was dead by the time we got to Kishin's lake," said Aislin.

"Dead? Then how the heck is he back alive?" asked Goku.

"Kishin brought his soul back. He can do that because...I don't really know why, but he can," said Aislin, crossing her arms. She got up and went back into the cave, coming out with a jug of liquid. She handed it to Sanzo and returned to her seat.

"Drink it. Don't smell it, don't look at it, just drink it. It will return you to full strength," said Aislin. Sanzo brought the drink to his lips and downed it in several gulps, almost bringing it back up a couple times.

"That stuff tastes like shit," said Sanzo, wiping his mouth.

"Are there any other mononoke in this forest? Besides you and that tiger demon?" asked Hakkai.

"Tiger demon? Oh! You mean Ryuumaru? Yeah, the Manalishi are one of them. There's the boar clan that is lead by Uyeda and other types of demons, but I can't remember them all," said Aislin, sitting back down in the grass. A strange look passed over her face and shook it away, shrugging her shoulders and smiling.

"Has the Minus Wave affected any youkai here?" asked Hakkai.

"Minus Wave? Oh, that thing! Two: my younger brother, Ronin, and my older brother, Aiken. The Wave took over them and they disappeared into the West, I haven't seen them since," said Aislin softly.

"We're headed west to stop the Minus Wave," said Goku, turning to Sanzo, "Hey Sanzo, do you think--?"

"No Goku, she can't come with us," said Sanzo firmly.

"Aw! Why not!" whined Goku.

"Because I'm not having some wench needing to be protected every time we turn our backs. She can't come and that's final," said Sanzo.

"It's okay Goku, my place is here in the forest. I'll go west when Kishin tells me it's time," said Aislin smiling. Goku frowned and hunched forward, his arms crossed against his chest.

"Sanzo's just being mean, is all," he mumbled.

"What was that?" growled Sanzo, his eyes flickering at Goku. Goku bristled and scooted away from the priest.

"Why don't you tell what your brothers look like," said Hakkai.

"Well, Ronin is a little shorter than me and has short gray hair. When in his dog form, he's silver with red markings on his paws. Aiken is taller than me, has blonde hair that he usually wears in a braid. In his true form he's--!" Aislin stopped and sniffed the air, a low growl growing in her throat. She got up and ran to the cave, coming back out with a large blade slung across her back.

"What's up?" asked Gojyo.

"Guys, it smells like that dragon thing," said Goku, a shiver running down his back.

Loud roars echoed through the forest, trees shaking with every pounding footstep.

"Damn," mumbled Aislin as she took off into the forest.

"Should we follow her?" asked Gojyo. Goku had already ran ahead, following Aislin into the forest. Sanzo shrugged his shoulders and went after Goku. Hakkai and Gojyo taking up the rear with Haku not far behind.

Aislin and Goku stood at the cliff, looking across the forest. The trees to the south of Kishin's lake shook with violent force from the many feet trampling the ground. The roars grew louder with every step, more violent with each throaty call.

"What's going on?" asked Sanzo, watching the forest with thinly veiled interest.

"The Manalishi are angry. They're mad at Kishin for some reason," said Aislin. She turned her eyes to the lake and watched as Kishin stepped out of the green. White eyes unblinking as he tossed his head and whinnied, his gaze shifting to the cliff, before turning back into the shadows of the forest.

Aislin nodded and whistled, looking towards the forest as two figures approached one black and the other white. Barks and howls escaped the creatures as they came closer, their tails wagging behind them. They stopped at Aislin's side, rubbing their muzzles into her open palms.

"Rika," Aislin said and the black wolf looked up, "Go get Ryuumaru and tell him to hurry. Stay as far away from the Manalishi as possible. Go!" the wolf nodded and ran off down the hill, headed towards the tiger demon at the edge of the forest.

"Berkano," the white wolf looked up at Aislin, " You're to come with me." The wolf barked and Aislin turned back to the group of men behind her. "You'd better get out of here before it gets bloody," said Aislin smiling.

Hakkai nodded and outstretched his hand; "Maybe we'll meet again."

"Maybe," said Aislin, shaking it firmly, smiling at the rest of the group. Turning around, Aislin gripped Berkano's white mane and pulled herself up onto his back. Glancing back and waving, she moved him forward at a dash. With a quick flicker of white fur, the two were over the cliff and dashing off into the forest.

"Well… that was interesting," said Gojyo, rubbing the back of his neck.

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_** Author's Note  
**Well, that's it. got to go.  
_


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